Three businesses linked to the Catawba Nation of South Carolina made $42,750 in campaign contributions since 2000, with 82 percent going to Republican candidates, The State reports.

The paper said the donations went to GOP politicians like President Bush, and Sens. Lindsey Graham, and Jim DeMint. The money was given by three companies whose offices were raided last month as part of an election fraud probe.

The paper said the FBI raided the businesses and sought records related to their dealings with the tribe. The FBI was looking for possible illegal contributions or "straw" contributions made in another person's name.

The paper conducted a wider search on contributions made by other companies linked to the tribe and found $100,000 in donations, with most of it going to Democrats. Bush and other Republicans received 25 percent of the total funds.

Get the Story:
$43,000 given to political hopefuls (The State 9/15)
pw1
Feds probing firms with Catawba links (The Charlotte Observer 9/15)
pw1

Related Stories:
Catawba Nation linked to election fraud probe (9/14)
State court to rule on Catawba Nation leadership (07/20)
Court asked to rule on Catawba Nation leadership (05/27)
Former Catawba Nation official given probation (05/17)
Former Catawba Nation official pleads guilty to theft (03/16)
Commentary: What happened to the Catawba Nation? (3/16)
Catawba Nation trying to sort out leadership dispute (02/18)
South Carolina tribe suffers major setbacks (12/10)
Catawba Nation shuts down government operations (12/02)
New Catawba leaders hope infighting will end (11/10)
Former Catawba Nation official pleads not guilty (10/22)
Catawba election draws field of hopefuls and a lawsuit (10/08)
Indictment of ex-tribal official started with DOI (10/08)
Former Catawba Nation official indicted for theft (10/07)